History

It's hard to believe that it was more than 15 years ago when MotorWeek compared what host John Davis described as "a new class of subcompacts called econo-sports." Television's automotive magazine compared the '92 Saturn SC coupe to the Hyundai Scoupe, Toyota Paseo, Geo Storm, and Nissan NX1600.

Saturn has had a colorful history that's full of interesting bits of trivia. Al Clapsaddle has put together a list of some interesting facts from Saturn's early years on his website. So go ahead, peruse the list below, and test your knowledge with these Saturn 'did you know' trivia bits. If you have any good fact, send them to me and I'll add them to SaturnFans.com archives.

Pictured above is the front page of the single-page brochure created to promote the 1999 Saturn Homecoming SL2. Only a limited number of these green sedans were built to commemorate the brand's second homecoming celebration held in July of '99 at the former Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The MSRP for this special model was $17,405.

As part of it's coverage of General Motors' 100th anniversary, the Detroit News profiled Saturn and discussed the brand's past, present, and future. Saturn is "in the middle of a transformation," five-time Saturn owner David Hyde, an automotive historian at Wayne State University, told the newspaper.

Saturn launched its lineup of compact sedans and coupes in the fall of 1990 as an relatively unknown and untested manufacturer of "a different kind of car." The Saturn team did the impossible by implementing a set of strategies that included building quality vehicles and crafting an intriguing message that attracted car buyers who had written off domestic cars long ago. That was no small feat. In his book, "Building Strong Brands," author David Aaker set out to "not only to describe what was done but also to suggest the logic behind the strategies: why they were pursued, and how they were intended to contribute to the brand." He concluded that "although certainly some elements of the Saturn strategy may have been critical, it was the synergy of the total program rather than the power of any single element - that led to its success."

This week's look back in time comes courtesy of the Internet Archive's Way Back Machine. Saturn.com has come a long way since those early days on the Web. Above is a screenshot taken from the owner photo page on Saturn's website circa 1997-98. Back then, the site was primarily split in two parts highlighting different aspects of the company's corporate initiatives and Saturn's 1998 model year cars.

The man with the vision behind the creation of General Motors' Saturn subsidiary, Roger Smith, was called one of the seven most notable executives to have run the corporation during GM's storied 100 year history. GM "has been led by men who were often larger than life themselves," wrote Bryce G. Hoffman in an article published this morning in the Detroit News.

On June 1, 1995 Saturn built its millionth car at its Spring Hill, Tennessee manufacturing facility. The model was a dark green SC2 with a tan leather interior. The car is pictured above with former Saturn President Richard G. "Skip" LaFauve and VP Donald W. Hudler just in front of "Inspiration Point" at the end of the assembly line.

Lift the hood of any S-Series Saturn and you'll find what was the brand's tried-and-true 1.9L engine, or "power module" as it was called back in the day. Before the signature four-cylinder made its way into any Saturn, the engine was extensively tested in a variety of ways, including in two 1984 Chevy Cavaliers.

Random Article from the SaturnFans.com Archives

More and more information is trickling in about Saturn's plans for the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) next month. While Saturn has not officially announced whether or not it will have any debuts at the show, rumors suggest that Saturn will have three, yes three, never-before-seen vehicles on display.